An assessment of engineers' leadership competency and competency training need

The purpose of this study was to assess the critical need engineers have for certain leadership competencies in their work. The study was aimed at determining if: (a) engineers with different levels (i.e., years) of professional engineering experience differ in terms of their need for certain leadership competencies; (b) certain leadership competencies are more critical to engineers' needs than others; and (c) there is an interaction between those competencies considered critical to engineers' needs and different levels of professional engineering experience.;From an initial population of 2,129 subjects that made up the 1984, 1989, and 1994 Auburn University undergraduate engineering graduation classes, 231 respondents participated in the study by completing a 70-item survey. Of this number, 81 respondents from the 1984 class represented engineers with 15 years of professional experience, 60 respondents from the 1989 class represented engineers with 10 years of professional experience, and 90 respondents from the 1994 class represented engineers with 5 years of professional experience.;A mixed-model ANOVA design procedure was used to analyze the data from the completed surveys. Follow-up one-way ANOVA procedures and Tukey HSD tests for pairwise comparisons were used to further analyze the data.;Analysis of the differences between the different levels of professional experience found a difference (p < .05) in one of the four categories analyzed, effective competency utilization. Analysis of the differences among the nine leadership competencies found significant differences in all four categories analyzed (job effectiveness, career advancement, effective competency utilization, and need for competency training). Additionally, analysis of the interaction between the nine leadership competencies and years of professional engineering experience found a difference (p < .05) in one of the four categories analyzed, job effectiveness.;The overall results of the study revealed that engineers with more years of professional experience had received more leadership training and more diverse training than did those engineers with fewer years of professional experience. The majority of engineers in the study self-reported that not only did they receive leadership competency training, but they are also effective at utilizing these competencies in their jobs. Whether the training engineers received was intentional, systematic, and preparatory for future leadership roles remains to be confirmed.